Economy in Brief: May 2009

Another sign that the U.S. job market is firming was provided by the decline in initial claims for unemployment insurance. They fell 34,000 last week to 601,000 which was their lowest level since late-January. Claims have fallen 11.0% [...]

It was a recovery, but not much of one. Labor productivity in the nonfarm business sector rose an expected 0.8% (AR) last quarter and mostly recouped a revised 0.6% slip at the end of last year. The latest uptick, however, has done [...]

It was a recovery, but not much of one. Labor productivity in the nonfarm business sector rose an expected 0.8% (AR) last quarter and mostly recouped a revised 0.6% slip at the end of last year. The latest uptick, however, has done [...]

Among the signs that the global downturn may be bottoming are recent increases in some commodity prices. The Commodity Research Bureau Index of Spot Prices is up 11.2% from its recent low of 305.59 (1967=100) reached on March 18, as [...]

April’s jump is the second largest increase in Markit’s e-Area Services PMI index since late 2000. The April surge brings the index up to 43.76 still well below a neutral reading of 50 but that still leaves the index relatively low in [...]

German industrial production halted its string of six consecutive declines with a flat result in March. Over three months the negative growth rate for IP has flattened but at a still horrific -33% (saar). Ironically, the capital goods [...]

For April, the outplacement firm of Challenger, Grey & Christmas indicated that cut announcements eased for the third month. The announcement of 132,590 layoffs followed 150,411 during March and both of the figures were down from the [...]

Perhaps the labor market showed a sign of improvement during April. That could be the implication of the latest report from the payroll processor ADP in their latest National Employment Report. It indicated that private nonfarm [...]